I've been around the 'Zen scene' for some time now and I've met wonderful people, incredible people and some not so wonderful people. So when I first came to know about Treeleaf and after accessing the site a few times as a guest and thought of applying to join Treeleaf, I asked some of these people what they thought of it. I also read blogs and other stuff to take a sounding. I got a mixture of responses and opinions but in the main the feeling was "we'll it's OK but it's not the real thing". Whatever they thought the 'real' thing to be, the consensus of opinion seemed to be as a substitute, if one wasn't able to attend a 'real' zendo and sitting live with a sangha, it was fine but it was not an alternative to this.

Now in some senses these people were right. We here do not have a bricks and mortar zendo and we do not meet in this kind of place and sit 'live' in the way they meant. But I. all other things they were completely WRONG.

For one thing we have each other and the support of all. The discussions, questions and answers, thoughts and deeds, care and support that happens here, far outweighs all I have encountered in my experience. But the main thing, and this is really what I have said so far is all about our teachers Taigu and Jundo. They are 'the business', 'the goods' as they say, 'the real thing'. Looking at they efforts here everyday one can not doubt their dedication and commitment but not only this, one only has to look at their contributions here today Taigu's "This and that" and Jundo's last response to shikantazen (Sam) to experience genuine insight and wisdom. Who,if any, then, could doubt their authority and authenticity in the zen tradition.

So I want to express, without any trace of fawning or synchophancy, my deepest gratitude and I want to invite any or all, whether you have done so before on one or many occasions, to join me.
deep deep bows

David